Scottish Executive

Anti-Social Behaviour

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funded initiatives to tackle anti-social behaviour it has announced since 1999; how much funding has been provided to each (a) local authority and (b) initiative and what evaluation has been made of each initiative.

Ms Margaret Curran: Since 1999, we have announced a Sociable Neighbourhood Initiative, the Quality of Life Initiative, the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund and Community Safety Partnership Awards, designed in whole or in part to tackle anti-social behaviour. A more detailed note with details of funding for these initiatives and of arrangements for evaluation has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. Number 25927).

Anti-Social Behaviour

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have been granted anti-social behaviour orders (ABSOs).

Mr Jim Wallace: In the period 1 December 1999 to 30 November 2001, 15 local authorities have been granted ASBOs. This is the latest information held centrally.

Better Neighbourhood Services Fund

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have applied to the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund (BNSF) and which such authorities were successful in respect of what projects.

Ms Margaret Curran: Twelve local authorities have been awarded funding under the BNSF. These are Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire, Dundee, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, and Western Isles. BNSF first year annual reports, detailing individual pathfinder projects, are held by the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Burial and Cremation

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the review of the legislation governing burial and cremation that it announced on 19 July 2002 is expected.

Malcolm Chisholm: The review of legislation is being taken forward in a two-stage process.

  The first phase involves the early introduction of amended cremation regulations to address the specific issues identified by the Independent Review Group on Retention of Organs at Post-Mortem.

  The second phase will involve establishing an external working group to prepare a more comprehensive consultation paper which identifies the issues and options for change, taking appropriate account of the relevant outcomes of the Shipman Inquiry. Details of the membership and remit of the working group will be announced in due course.

Care of Elderly People

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £250 million for free personal and nursing care was allocated to Midlothian Council area.

Mr Frank McAveety: Midlothian Council was allocated £1.326 million for 1 July 2002 to 31 March 2003 and £1.785 million for 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004.

Carers

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that resources allocated to support carers are tracked and result in changes for the better in carers' lives.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are being made to increase resources for services that support carers and to ensure that such resources are effectively used.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 is sufficiently resourced and implemented to ensure that (a) young carers receive an assessment and (b) there are sustained services providing appropriate support, including specific respite services for such carers.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to guarantee that its commitment to additional levels of respite provision is met.

Mr Frank McAveety: The resources allocated by the Executive to local authorities to support carers, including resources to develop respite services, will have risen from £5 million in 1999-2000 to £21 million in the period 2003-04. The local government allocations for the next three years maintain these resources at the 2003-04 levels, augmented by the general uplift for pay and inflation. We have made it clear to authorities that we expect these resources to be used to benefit carers. We are currently working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, NHS representatives and carers’ organisations to develop outcome measures that will monitor the benefits to carers from these resources, our Carers Strategy in general and our recent introduction of new legislation to support carers. We are also monitoring through local agreements the outcomes achieved by individual councils for the significant resources we are providing specifically to develop additional respite services.

Carers

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is directing all NHS departments to audit service provision in order to ensure that it is accessible to carers.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that carers’ health is central to all strategic health planning at both a national and local level.

Mr Frank McAveety: The generic clinical standards of NHS Quality Improvement (previously the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland) require all NHS services to identify the needs of carers in line with the National Strategy for Carers. All NHS services should meet clinical standards, and the report of the board's second review of the implementation of these standards will be published in May.

Carers

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all service planning and provision incorporates access to respite and transport services for carers.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is ensuring that service planners are consulting effectively and meaningfully with carers to increase the range, quality, flexibility and level of provision of respite services.

Mr Frank McAveety: Service planners and providers are required under section 5A of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to consult effectively with service users and carers on the provision of local community care services, including respite care, to ensure that services are appropriate and accessible to carers. Our Carers Strategy specifically requires local authorities to consult carers on the use of resources allocated to them to provide services to support carers, including the provision of respite. Local authorities and NHS bodies are also encouraged to involve users and carers directly in implementing the Joint Future agenda to help deliver more integrated support services across health and social care.

Carers

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is promoting carer- and family-friendly policies (a) in its own practices and (b) amongst employers.

Mr Frank McAveety: In line with its Diversity Strategy, the Scottish Executive has a range of policies to allow its staff to meet their caring responsibilities and to achieve a satisfactory work life balance. These include career breaks, alternative working patterns, work place nurseries, subsidised holiday play schemes and special leave. The Executive also has in place staff networks for those with caring responsibilities or who work an alternative pattern. Work life balance policy is reserved to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The Scottish Executive is working with the DTI to promote family-friendly policies in Scotland.

Carers

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is promoting the recognition of carers’ issues in national and local transport strategies.

Lewis Macdonald: Scotland's Transport: Delivering Improvements: Transport Indicators for Scotland stated the Executive’s commitment to delivering an efficient, safe transport system which meets the needs of all and is accessible to all.

  Guidance issued by the Scottish Executive in 2000 underlined the importance of ensuring accessible travel in Local Transport Strategies (LTS). The guidance emphasised that everyone should have the opportunity for independent mobility. The LTS guidance is about to be reviewed and updated by the Executive and the consultation process will include all local authorities and the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS). MACS was established in May 2002 to allow disabled people to give their views on transport issues and suggest early practical improvements to transport for disabled people to the Executive.

Carers

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that the new duties on the NHS and local authorities to inform carers of their rights under the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 are implemented effectively.

Mr Frank McAveety: We are issuing comprehensive guidance to local authorities and the NHS on the new duties introduced by the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 to inform carers of their right to an assessment. We have consulted widely with local authorities, the NHS and carers about this guidance. In addition, we are working closely with local authorities, the NHS and carers’ representatives to develop more effective ways of monitoring the effective implementation of our policies to support carers.

Carers

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to fully implement and monitor best practice on patient discharge from hospitals to carers at home.

Mr Frank McAveety: Our Delayed Discharge Action Plan committed us to developing a model national framework for joint hospital discharge policies and protocols. Consultation has taken place on a draft and guidance will be issued. We intend to publish Local Authority and NHS Board Partnerships’ Protocols on our Delayed Discharge Website and audit these annually. Good practice in relation to the needs of carers will be incorporated in the framework protocol.

Community Safety

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many community safety partnerships there are in the Midlothian area and when each such partnership was established.

Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-31642 on 9 December 2002 and S1W-33833 on 18 February 2003, which explained that there is a community safety partnership for each local authority area, therefore there is one partnership in the Midlothian area. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search ..

  Community Safety Partnerships are led by the local authority. I understand that the Midlothian Community Safety Partnership was established at the end of 1996.

Concessionary Travel

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage uptake is for concessionary travel entitlements within the eligible pensioner population nationally and in each local authority area.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally.

Council Tax

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what each local authority’s council tax levels have been in each year since 1997, showing any year-on-year percentage increases and the overall increase between 1997 and 2003.

Peter Peacock: The council tax levels of each local authority since 1997, showing year-on-year percentage increases to 2003 are shown in the following tables:

  Band D Council Tax, Scotland Average and by Local Authority

  

 

Actual (£) 
  



1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  

2003-04 
  



Scotland 
  

783 
  

827 
  

849 
  

886 
  

929 
  

971 
  

1,009 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

712 
  

794 
  

824 
  

873 
  

934 
  

981 
  

1,020 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

643 
  

695 
  

719 
  

777 
  

855 
  

919 
  

966 
  



Angus 
  

679 
  

709 
  

734 
  

771 
  

821 
  

881 
  

933 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

801 
  

881 
  

881 
  

938 
  

984 
  

1,009 
  

1,034 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

753 
  

831 
  

872 
  

913 
  

951 
  

978 
  

995 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

714 
  

731 
  

766 
  

817 
  

857 
  

899 
  

931 
  



Dundee City 
  

920 
  

990 
  

1,034 
  

1,056 
  

1,046 
  

1,079 
  

1,089 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

779 
  

819 
  

849 
  

878 
  

922 
  

967 
  

1,014 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

771 
  

790 
  

830 
  

830 
  

872 
  

915 
  

966 
  



East Lothian 
  

724 
  

760 
  

789 
  

858 
  

909 
  

955 
  

993 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

682 
  

729 
  

765 
  

810 
  

859 
  

910 
  

955 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

837 
  

867 
  

889 
  

915 
  

960 
  

1,001 
  

1,041 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

599 
  

656 
  

689 
  

724 
  

765 
  

815 
  

867 
  



Falkirk 
  

680 
  

699 
  

719 
  

757 
  

813 
  

863 
  

906 
  



Fife 
  

747 
  

771 
  

809 
  

849 
  

891 
  

935 
  

981 
  



Glasgow City 
  

982 
  

1,074 
  

1,074 
  

1,094 
  

1,120 
  

1,141 
  

1,163 
  



Highland 
  

719 
  

776 
  

799 
  

839 
  

889 
  

939 
  

989 
  



Inverclyde 
  

831 
  

863 
  

888 
  

933 
  

1,012 
  

1,062 
  

1,089 
  



Midlothian 
  

858 
  

892 
  

936 
  

963 
  

1,001 
  

1,036 
  

1,072 
  



Moray 
  

652 
  

699 
  

724 
  

786 
  

825 
  

865 
  

907 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

718 
  

751 
  

788 
  

827 
  

877 
  

927 
  

977 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

787 
  

812 
  

844 
  

876 
  

907 
  

939 
  

972 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

515 
  

595 
  

624 
  

690 
  

754 
  

824 
  

900 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

732 
  

732 
  

758 
  

795 
  

875 
  

936 
  

983 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

783 
  

783 
  

783 
  

846 
  

896 
  

941 
  

988 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

612 
  

639 
  

670 
  

725 
  

785 
  

864 
  

935 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

486 
  

558 
  

621 
  

684 
  

747 
  

810 
  

873 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

765 
  

792 
  

792 
  

832 
  

874 
  

918 
  

964 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

793 
  

859 
  

880 
  

901 
  

924 
  

947 
  

971 
  



Stirling 
  

776 
  

782 
  

819 
  

900 
  

954 
  

1,011 
  

1,062 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

978 
  

1,011 
  

981 
  

999 
  

1,024 
  

1,050 
  

1,070 
  



West Lothian 
  

792 
  

829 
  

858 
  

888 
  

919 
  

951 
  

984 
  



  Source: As reported by local authorities in SE CTAS returns for 1996-97 to 2002-03, COSLA 2003-04.

  Band D Council Tax, Scotland Average and by Local Authority

  Year-on-Year Increase

  

 

Percentage Increase from Previous Year 
  

Cumulative Increase from 1997-98 to 2000-04 
  



1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  

2003-04 
  



Scotland 
  

5.5% 
  

2.7% 
  

4.4% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.5% 
  

3.9% 
  

28.8% 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

11.5% 
  

3.7% 
  

6.1% 
  

6.9% 
  

5.0% 
  

4.0% 
  

43.2% 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

8.1% 
  

3.5% 
  

8.1% 
  

10.0% 
  

7.5% 
  

5.1% 
  

50.2% 
  



Angus 
  

4.4% 
  

3.5% 
  

5.0% 
  

6.5% 
  

7.3% 
  

5.9% 
  

37.4% 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

10.0% 
  

0.0% 
  

6.5% 
  

4.9% 
  

2.5% 
  

2.5% 
  

29.1% 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

10.4% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.7% 
  

4.2% 
  

2.8% 
  

1.7% 
  

32.1% 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

2.4% 
  

4.8% 
  

6.7% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

3.6% 
  

30.4% 
  



Dundee City 
  

7.6% 
  

4.4% 
  

2.1% 
  

-0.9% 
  

3.2% 
  

0.9% 
  

18.4% 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

5.1% 
  

3.6% 
  

3.5% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

30.2% 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

2.5% 
  

5.1% 
  

0.0% 
  

5.0% 
  

5.0% 
  

5.6% 
  

25.3% 
  



East Lothian 
  

5.0% 
  

3.8% 
  

8.7% 
  

6.0% 
  

5.0% 
  

4.0% 
  

37.2% 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

6.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

5.9% 
  

6.0% 
  

5.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

40.0% 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

3.6% 
  

2.5% 
  

2.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.3% 
  

4.0% 
  

24.4% 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

9.5% 
  

5.0% 
  

5.1% 
  

5.7% 
  

6.5% 
  

6.4% 
  

44.7% 
  



Falkirk 
  

2.8% 
  

2.9% 
  

5.3% 
  

7.4% 
  

6.2% 
  

5.0% 
  

33.2% 
  



Fife 
  

3.2% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

31.3% 
  



Glasgow City 
  

9.4% 
  

0.0% 
  

1.9% 
  

2.4% 
  

1.9% 
  

1.9% 
  

18.4% 
  



Highland 
  

8.0% 
  

2.9% 
  

5.0% 
  

6.0% 
  

5.6% 
  

5.3% 
  

37.6% 
  



Inverclyde 
  

3.9% 
  

2.9% 
  

5.1% 
  

8.5% 
  

4.9% 
  

2.5% 
  

31.0% 
  



Midlothian 
  

4.0% 
  

4.9% 
  

2.9% 
  

3.9% 
  

3.5% 
  

3.5% 
  

24.9% 
  



Moray 
  

7.2% 
  

3.6% 
  

8.6% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

39.2% 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

4.6% 
  

4.9% 
  

4.9% 
  

6.0% 
  

5.7% 
  

5.4% 
  

36.1% 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

3.2% 
  

3.9% 
  

3.8% 
  

3.5% 
  

3.5% 
  

3.5% 
  

23.5% 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

15.5% 
  

4.9% 
  

10.6% 
  

9.3% 
  

9.3% 
  

9.2% 
  

74.8% 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

0.0% 
  

3.6% 
  

4.9% 
  

10.1% 
  

7.0% 
  

5.0% 
  

34.3% 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

0.0% 
  

0.0% 
  

8.0% 
  

5.9% 
  

5.0% 
  

5.0% 
  

26.2% 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

4.4% 
  

4.9% 
  

8.2% 
  

8.3% 
  

10.1% 
  

8.2% 
  

52.8% 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

14.8% 
  

11.3% 
  

10.1% 
  

9.2% 
  

8.4% 
  

7.8% 
  

79.6% 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

3.5% 
  

0.0% 
  

5.1% 
  

5.0% 
  

5.0% 
  

5.0% 
  

26.0% 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

8.3% 
  

2.4% 
  

2.4% 
  

2.6% 
  

2.5% 
  

2.5% 
  

22.4% 
  



Stirling 
  

0.8% 
  

4.7% 
  

9.9% 
  

6.0% 
  

6.0% 
  

5.0% 
  

36.9% 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

3.4% 
  

-3.0% 
  

1.8% 
  

2.5% 
  

2.5% 
  

1.9% 
  

9.4% 
  



West Lothian 
  

4.7% 
  

3.5% 
  

3.5% 
  

3.5% 
  

3.5% 
  

3.5% 
  

24.2% 
  



  Source: As reported by local authorities in SE CTAS returns for 1996-97 to 2002-03, COSLA 2003-04.

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been agreed in respect of target 1 for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-2006; What the money buys ; whether there has been any announcement on this matter, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Colin Boyd QC: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is committed to agreeing targets covering the progress of cases through the criminal justice system as set out in target 1 for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Building a Better Scotland – Spending Proposals 2003-2006; What the money buys . We are actively engaged in discussions with the police and the Scottish Court Service to agree such targets for the next financial year and, as the first stage of that process, have agreed to work in partnership with them in fulfilment of the Scottish Court Service’s new target to dispose of all summary criminal cases within 20 weeks from first calling in court to sentence.

Culture

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Arts Council’s Youth Music Audit will be published.

Dr Elaine Murray: The Audit of Youth Music Provision by the Scottish Arts Council, Youth Music and the Musician’s Union, What’s going on , was published on 26 February 2003.

Education

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what further action it intends to take to promote science in schools.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive is continuing to implement a range of measures as part of its commitment to school science within A Science Strategy for Scotland  and supporting delivery of the National Priorities in Education .

  Over the next three years, £10 million is being distributed to education authorities in support of these initiatives. The first tranche of £5 million will be issued in April 2003. Further allocations of £3 million and £2 million will be made in 2004-05 and 2005-06. The funding will support teacher professional development and offer further resources to schools to update scientific equipment. This is in addition to the £8 million already announced during Science Year 2002.

Employment

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5727 by Iain Gray on 10 October 2002, what action it is taking to retain quality, high-skill call centre enterprises, in the light of any growing pressure within such enterprises to outsource jobs abroad.

Iain Gray: Alongside the work of Scottish Development International in promoting Scotland as a location for such activity, and the support provided directly to such enterprises through the Regional Selective Assistance scheme, the Executive is contributing to a study by Philip Taylor, University of Stirling, and Peter Bain, University of Strathclyde into outsourcing competition from India, which should help inform our consideration of this issue.

Energy

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of housing stock in (a) Scotland and (b) the East Dunbartonshire Council area is rated under the National Home Energy Ratings as (i) poor, (ii) moderate and (iii) good.

Des McNulty: The latest information on the National Home Energy Rating (NHER) of Scottish housing stock is the Scottish House Condition Survey 1996. According to this report, (a) in Scotland (i) 17% is NHER poor, (ii) 76% is NHER moderate and (iii) 7% is good.

  The data is not broken down by local authority area.

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the levels were of climate change gases emitted in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001 and (d) 2002.

Allan Wilson: Data on emissions of greenhouse gases in the UK and its constituent countries are available in a publication entitled Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland . The latest available data are for 1999 and can be found through a link on the Executive’s climate change website at www.scotland.gov.uk/climatechange .

  Also, on behalf of the UK Government, the National Environmental Technology Centre maintains a database of all UK greenhouse gas emissions. The most recent UK-wide data available are for 2000, which can be accessed directly at www.aeat.co.uk/netcen/airqual/statbase/emissions/ghouse1.html.

  With regard to 2000-02 emissions data for Scotland, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34051 on 25 February 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search..

Hepatitis

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to projects relating to hepatitis C in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board area and expressed per (a) patient and (b) capita.

Malcolm Chisholm: The care and treatment of persons with hepatitis C is primarily a matter for NHS boards, based on their assessment of local needs. The Executive has, however, set in train a range of measures to help address the implications of hepatitis C, including:

  making available some £8.1 million each year to boards in Scotland to assist their activities to prevent bloodborne viruses, including hepatitis C;

  providing funding of up to £70,000 in each of the next three years to the British Liver Trust and Mainliners to set up a Scottish Hepatitis C Resource Centre, which will act as a central source of information and advice for those affected by hepatitis C, and

  facilitating the development of regional Managed Clinical Networks for the treatment of persons with hepatitis C.

Higher Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to increase the proportion of students in higher education (HE) that are from under-represented and disadvantaged groups and areas in the Midlothian Council area in each year since 1997.

Iain Gray: This information is not available in the form requested.

  My guidance to the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) makes it clear that widening access to higher education for under-represented and disadvantaged groups is a priority of the Scottish Executive.

  A range of activities have been undertaken to support this, benefiting individuals from disadvantaged and under-represented groups across Scotland. These include the provision of additional places, incentives and rewards provided by SHEFC through institutional core funding, the promotion and support by SHEFC of collaboration, networking and the sharing of good practice and the facilitation of self help and institutionally led activities, such as the work of the Wider Access Regional Forums in managing and supporting specific projects addressing locally identified priorities. An example of such a project is the Lothians Equal Access Programme for Schools (LEAPS), a partnership between the main Lothian higher education institutions and schools in the area to raise awareness of HE and aspirations towards attainment levels required for university entry.

  In addition to these activities, the Principals of Scotland’s higher education institutions, which are autonomous bodies, have committed to a social inclusion pledge undertaking, among other things, to promote inclusion through fair admission and the valuing of all achievement.

  Contributions to tuition fees have been abolished for all eligible students undertaking full-time HE courses at Scottish institutions since 2000. Since 2001-02, young students from less affluent backgrounds have been able to receive up to £2,050 (2002-03 rate) of their annual support entitlement in the form of a non-repayable Young Students Bursary. In addition, lone parents with at least one dependant child can receive £1,025 towards their child care costs. Mature students may now also be able to receive a discretionary non-repayable Mature Students Bursary, in addition to their loan entitlement, from their institutions.

Islands

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it regards Bute, Muck, Eigg and Skye as islands.

Peter Peacock: Yes.

Legal Aid

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who was involved in drawing up the proposals to introduce a block fee structure for civil legal aid; what consultation was carried out regarding the proposals, and what other fee structures were examined.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Law Society of Scotland drew up the initial proposals, following wide consultation with the legal profession and with the assistance of an outside academic. The Scottish Legal Aid Board provided technical assistance in evaluating the detailed structure and effect of the proposals and in costing them. These proposals were then the subject of detailed negotiation with the Executive, during which significant changes were made.

  A more detailed fee structure was considered at an early stage in the discussions, and was rejected on the basis that it would be both unacceptably costly and that it would not create the improvement in efficiency of the system that the Scottish Executive sought.

Police

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a performance indicator to measure police success in tackling all hate crime.

Mr Jim Wallace: The statutory performance indicators for the police, prepared by Audit Scotland on behalf of the Accounts Commission for Scotland, include the numbers and percentages of racially motivated crimes cleared up, as well as equivalent information on serious violent crime, housebreaking and car crime. The list of indicators is kept under review but there are no current plans to extend it to include a new indicator for all hate crimes.

Pre-School Education

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many free places are available in local authority-run nursery schools for three- and four-year-old children and what shortfall in places is estimated compared with parental demand.

Cathy Jamieson: The Executive has delivered on its pledge to provide free pre-school education for every three- and four-year-old, whose parents want one.

  Local authorities are under a duty to secure sufficient pre-school education places to meet demand. Information supplied by local authorities shows that capacity exceeds demand.

  The maximum number of places available in local authority pre-school education centres is shown in Table 4 of the 2002 Pre-school and Daycare Census, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 24310). In 2001-02 a total of 67,781 funded pre-school education places were available across Scotland. A further 35,689 funded pre-school education places are available in private and voluntary partner centres.

  As most centres cater for children on a part-time basis, it is possible for the minimum levels of pre-school education of 412.5 hours to be provided to more children than the total number of places available.

Pre-School Education

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average ratio of qualified nursery teachers to children is in pre-school centres run by (a) local authorities and (b) the private sector.

Cathy Jamieson: The 2002 pre-school and daycare census was carried out in January 2002. The statistics relating to the number of teachers and children in pre-school education from the census was published in September last year. A copy of the 2002 Pre-school and Daycare Census, is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 24310).

  

 

Local Authority Centres 
  

Private/Voluntary/Other Centres 
  



Number of Children 
  

79,793 
  

47,246 
  



Number of Qualified Teachers 
  

1,719 
  

471 
  



Child:Qualified Teachers Ratio 
  

46 
  

100 
  



  The majority of children attend on a part-time basis. Therefore the ratio of children to staff in centres at any given time will be lower than shown in the table.

Pre-School Education

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many qualified nursery teachers have worked in pre-school education in each year since 1995.

Cathy Jamieson: In January 2002, there were   2,190 qualified teachers working in pre-school education centres (1,384 full-time and 806 part-time). This equalled 1,645 full-time equivalent teachers. The total number of qualified teachers working in pre-school centres is not available from the censuses carried out since 1995, but full-time equivalent figures are provided in the following table.

  


Year 
  

Total FTE Teachers 
  



September 1995 
  

1,068 
  



September 1996 
  

1,079 
  



September 1997 
  

1,240 
  



February 1999 
  

1,382 
  



September 1999 
  

1,566 
  



January 2002 
  

1,645 
  



  Full-time equivalents have been calculated on the basis of a 35-hour working week. In January 2001, the Census of Children’s Daycare and Pre-School Education Centres was carried out for the first time, replacing the Census of Pre-School Education Centres. Reliable data on teacher numbers are not available from the 2001 census.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who is liable for any injury occurring to staff sent from other Scottish Prison Service establishments to HM Prison Kilmarnock to deal with any concerted indiscipline there.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited.

Rail Network

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new miles of rail track have been laid since May 1999.

Lewis Macdonald: Since May 1999, the Scottish Executive has supported several railway projects within Scotland, including the Stirling to Alloa to Kincardine and Larkhall to Milngavie schemes. However, with the exception of the opening of the Edinburgh Crossrail scheme, which utilised already operational freight lines, all of these projects are still at various levels of development.

  New track through Network Rail’s (formerly Railtrack) maintenance and renewal programme is an operational matter for the company. This information is not held centrally.

Rail Network

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33187 by Iain Gray on 15 January 2003, what consideration the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is giving to the proposed Borders rail service in relation to any bids received, or expected to be received, for the new passenger rail franchise, given that the timetable for the development and opening of the line falls within the term of the next franchise award.

Lewis Macdonald: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has been directed by the Scottish ministers to deliver an enhanceable franchise for ScotRail. This means, among other things, that new or improved services associated with new infrastructure can be introduced into the franchise throughout its life. The franchise will contain a mechanism to ensure that new services are introduced on reasonable terms as and when the new infrastructure becomes available.

Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure the full implementation of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 and, in particular, of the national care standards.

Mr Frank McAveety: We are phasing in regulation by the Care Commission of the wide range of services defined in the act. The implementation of the new registration and inspection framework set in place by the act, including application of the national care standards, is an operational matter for the Care Commission.

  Implementation of the Scottish Social Services Council's requirements under the act will also be phased. They have already published codes of practice and conduct and phased registration of the workforce will begin in April 2003.

  Ministers and their officials meet regularly with the commission and the council to discuss their progress with the performance targets set out in their respective corporate plans.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the specifications in the trunk road maintenance contract with BEAR Scotland in the north east were adequate to anticipate the current weather conditions and whether the contract will be re-specified.

Lewis Macdonald: The specifications in the contract are closely monitored by the independent Performance Audit Group. To date there is no evidence to suggest that the current winter specifications are inadequate.

Scottish Executive Funding

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it will give to the Association of Scottish Community Councils in each of the next three financial years.

Peter Peacock: A request for further grant funding has been received from the ASCC and is being considered.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the administrative costs were of each Social Inclusion Partnership in 2001-02.

Ms Margaret Curran: Up to 2.5% of the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund allocation in any year may be used to meet administration costs incurred by the grant recipient. The amounts claimed in 2001-02 are shown in the following table:

  


SIP 
  

Administrative Costs 
  



Great Northern 
  

£21,250 
  



Argyle and Bute 
  

0 
  



Edinburgh North 
  

£57,662 
  



Edinburgh South 
  

£26,118 
  



Edinburgh Strategic Programme 
  

£12,756 
  



Edinburgh Youth SIP 
  

£13,956 
  



Edinburgh Craigmillar 
  

£44,457 
  



Alloa South and East 
  

£23,407 
  



Dundee Young Carers 
  

£2,600 
  



Dundee SIP1 
  

£52,250 
  



Dundee SIP2 
  

£10,446 
  



Dundee Xplore 
  

£14,806 
  



East Ayr Coalfields 
  

£30,000 
  



Tranent 
  

0 
  



Levern Valley 
  

0 
  



Falkirk 
  

0 
  



Fife 
  

0 
  



Fife Frae 
  

0 
  



Glasgow Smaller Area 
  

£32,292 
  



Glasgow Anti Racist 
  

£14,499 
  



Glasgow Big Step 
  

£11,183 
  



Glasgow Drumchapel 
  

£49,154 
  



Glasgow East End 
  

£53,661 
  



Glasgow Gorbals 
  

£14,941 
  



Glasgow Greater Easterhouse 
  

£64,550 
  



Glasgow Greater Govan 
  

£17,315 
  



Glasgow Greater Pollock 
  

£55,089 
  



Glasgow Milton 
  

£18,262 
  



Glasgow North 
  

£55,992 
  



Glasgow Routes Out 
  

£6,629 
  



Glasgow Springburn 
  

£16,152 
  



Highland Well-being 
  

0 
  



Inverclyde 
  

£48,330 
  



Moray Youthstart 
  

0 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

£1,552 
  



Motherwell North 
  

£39,246 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

£21,140 
  



South Coatbridge 
  

£18,235 
  



GO - Perth 
  

0 
  



Renfrewshire - Paisley (incl. Ferguslie Park) 
  

£86,725 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

£3,992 
  



Girvan 
  

0 
  



North Ayr 
  

£38,925 
  



Blantyre/North Hamilton 
  

£1,440 
  



Cambuslang 
  

£1,440 
  



Stirling - SPUR 
  

£11,815 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

£50,634 
  



West Lothian 
  

£3,010 
  



Total 
  

£1,045,911

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which Social Inclusion Partnerships (a) underspent and (b) overspent their budgets in 2001-02 and by how much in each case.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Information requested is given in the following table:

  


SIP 
  

Total Allocation1


Total Expenditure2


Underspend 
  



Aberdeen Great Northern 
  

1,001,500 
  

1,001,500 
  

0 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

493,547 
  

465,866 
  

27,681 
  



Edinburgh North 
  

2,551,403 
  

2,525,408 
  

25,995 
  



Edinburgh South 
  

1,228,669 
  

1,170,503 
  

58,166 
  



Edinburgh Strategic Programme 
  

589,250 
  

574,746 
  

14,504 
  



Edinburgh Youth SIP 
  

634,000 
  

632,215 
  

1,785 
  



Edinburgh Craigmillar 
  

1,916,500 
  

1,894,163 
  

22,337 
  



Alloa South and East 
  

1,174,500 
  

1,148,003 
  

26,497 
  



Dundee Young Carers 
  

164,000 
  

130,421 
  

33,579 
  



Dundee SIP1 
  

2,277,250 
  

2,229,836 
  

47,414 
  



Dundee SIP2 
  

477,850 
  

442,236 
  

35,614 
  



Dundee Xplore 
  

652,250 
  

628,892 
  

23,358 
  



East Ayrshire Coalfields 
  

1,496,000 
  

1,492,309 
  

3,691 
  



Tranent 
  

216,000 
  

216,000 
  

0 
  



Levern Valley 
  

524,443 
  

482,766 
  

41,677 
  



Falkirk 
  

645,600 
  

645,600 
  

0 
  



Fife 
  

700,500 
  

666,720 
  

33,780 
  



Fife Frae 
  

191,000 
  

189,092 
  

1,908 
  



Glasgow Smaller Areas 
  

1,878,125 
  

1,502,708 
  

375,417 
  



Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance 
  

843,250 
  

696,492 
  

146,758 
  



Glasgow Big Step 
  

650,443 
  

646,321 
  

4,122 
  



Glasgow Drumchapel 
  

2,858,726 
  

2,642,466 
  

216,260 
  



Glasgow East End 
  

3,120,850 
  

3,070,534 
  

50,316 
  



Glasgow Gorbals 
  

869,000 
  

846,049 
  

22,951 
  



Glasgow Greater Easterhouse 
  

3,754,850 
  

3,729,402 
  

25,448 
  



Glasgow Greater Govan 
  

1,006,981 
  

993,938 
  

13,043 
  



Glasgow Greater Pollok 
  

3,203,930 
  

2,731,876 
  

472,054 
  



Glasgow Milton 
  

1,062,125 
  

737,485 
  

324,640 
  



Glasgow North 
  

3,256,427 
  

3,144,375 
  

112,052 
  



Glasgow Routes Out 
  

385,552 
  

337,406 
  

48,146 
  



Glasgow Springburn 
  

939,425 
  

884,378 
  

55,047 
  



Highland and Islands 
  

950,500 
  

905,744 
  

44,756 
  



Inverclyde 
  

2,654,000 
  

2,546,173 
  

107,827 
  



Moray Youthstart 
  

507,000 
  

485,065 
  

21,935 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

802,675 
  

692,104 
  

110,571 
  



Motherwell North 
  

1,909,500 
  

1,735,344 
  

174,156 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

964,325 
  

866,752 
  

97,573 
  



South Coatbridge 
  

853,000 
  

758,558 
  

94,442 
  



GO – Perth 
  

288,055 
  

270,286 
  

17,769 
  



Ferguslie Park3


1,122,652 
  

1,090,899 
  

31,753 
  



Paisley 
  

2,985,154 
  

2,707,953 
  

277,201 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

312,000 
  

310,824 
  

1,176 
  



Girvan 
  

454,600 
  

487,922 
  

-33,322 
  



North Ayr 
  

1,708,500 
  

1,965,165 
  

-256,665 
  



Blantyre/ North Hamilton 
  

2,226,710 
  

2,226,308 
  

402 
  



Cambuslang 
  

691,350 
  

682,162 
  

9,188 
  



Stirling 
  

590,700 
  

510,905 
  

79,795 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

2,365,500 
  

2,283,571 
  

81,929 
  



West Lothian 
  

269,000 
  

244,474 
  

24,526 
  



Total 
  

62,419,167 
  

59,269,915 
  

3,149,252 
  



  Notes:

  1. Includes EYF adjustments (allocations carried forward from previous year).

  2. Expenditure incurred by grant recipient on behalf of the Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP). Overspends against budget (allocation) are not re-imbursed from the SIP programme.

  3. Allocation ring-fenced within the allocation to the Paisley SIP.

Student Finance

Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the current student support regulations on funding periods of overseas study undertaken as part of a degree course by Scottish university students.

Iain Gray: There are no plans to review these arrangements.